#1219 The East-West Lines of Love 

I am Kimeri, Rondmelt’s female prefectural governor. 

Lately, our town’s importance on the world stage has been skyrocketing.  

Why? Because not far from here, the Farm Kingdom is rising from the ground up. 

And when the Demon King himself declares, “That kingdom will grow bigger and bigger,” everyone pays attention. 

The town I govern is the one closest to the Farm Kingdom. 
Sure, there’s still a decent distance between us, but compared to all the other towns around… we’re the nearest by far. 

That’s exactly why we’re already reaping the benefits. 
Right now, the Farm Kingdom, still in the middle of building its foundation, is receiving support from various countries, with aid supplies constantly flowing in. 
Naturally, that creates supply routes, and our town just so happens to be a key stop along the way. 

After all, from the Demon Kingdom’s side, our town is the closest to the Farm Kingdom. 

So, the cargo caravans and laborers transporting goods all pass through here, stopping to rest and resupply. 
The economic impact of that is huge. 

Honestly, our town is booming like it’s wartime prosperity all over again. 
Our tax revenue is through the roof. 

So, for Rondmelt, the Farm Kingdom might as well be a divine blessing. Calling it godsent wouldn’t even be exaggerating. 
But then one day, Lord Saint, who leads the Farm Kingdom, came to us with a rather strange proposal. 

…A railway? 

What’s that? 
An iron road?  
A path where steel-armored soldiers march in formation?  
Sounds ominous. 
Are we heading for another war? 

No? 

But Lord Saint says otherwise, patiently explaining that a railway is a revolutionary way to speed up transport and logistics. 

Still, I can’t answer on the spot. 
After all, every decision I make as governor determines my town’s fate, so I have to be cautious.  

Sensing my hesitation, Lord Saint leans in and whispers in my ear:  

—“Once the railway’s running, you’ll be able to see Ariaros more often.” 

Wh-Wh-Wh-What?! 

Ariaros is the ruler of a town in the Human Kingdom, located just across the Farm Kingdom. 
His town and ours serve similar roles in our respective countries, so in that sense, we’ve always had a close connection. 

Both of us lead our towns, carry the same responsibilities, and deal with the same kinds of problems. That’s all it is—we can relate to each other, nothing more!!! 

Well, sure... 
It’s true that exchanging ideas with someone in a similar position is valuable. And yeah, having an easy way to meet up would be helpful. 
…Teleportation magic? 
That’s an incredibly luxurious method of travel reserved for a handful of elite mages! You can’t expect a mere regional governor like me to be granted that kind of privilege! 

And yet… somehow, I end up approving it without even knowing how or why. A few days later... 

*** 

The railway really did open.  
I remember Lord Saint getting all fired up, saying they’ll finish during winter. 

But to think he was true to his word...  
I blink and find a grand new building in one corner of town, with a sign that reads “Nanbu Rondmelt Station.”  
What’s Nanbu??? 

Apparently, there’s going to be some kind of grand opening ceremony, and I’m invited. 
I don’t think much of it and just agree to attend. 

Then suddenly, there’s this rope? Or something like one, strung across in front of me, and everyone’s standing around saying, “Please cut it with these scissors.” 
What sort of ritual is this? 

Also, this rope (?) is red and white, clearly made of fine cloth. They want me to cut this? 
It feels like a waste. I’d rather not. 

Moreover, the scissors for the cutting are fancy. Honestly, I’d rather take them home as a souvenir. Can I? No? 
Oh well. 

“Next, we will proceed with the trial run of the train. Those participating, please board now.” 

Huh? I’m joining that, too? 
I’ve got other official duties, you know? 

“No worries. The train will travel from here to the Human Kingdom terminus, San-Chome Station, with a brief stop at Farm Station. Estimated total time: five hours. One-hour break at Farm Station included.” 

Five hours?! 
It normally takes five DAYS by express horse to reach San-Chome, where Ariaros lives! 
Are you sure you didn’t mess up the units?! 

Still confused, I’m led to where this so-called train is waiting. 
What is this massive… thing? 
It’s so hard to describe, I don’t even have a good comparison. 

If I had to say… maybe it looks like a string of royal carriages, the kind only nobility rides? 
But if it were a carriage, there should be horses at the front, and this train thing has none. 

How does it move?  
I see wheels, but I’ve never heard of a cart rolling itself along. 

“Rest assured, your speedy and comfortable journey is our guarantee.” 

Eek!  
Who’s speaking?! 

“I am Beta, the second Otherworldly Railway Vehicle. Unlike my rude older sibling, I put your safety first.” 

My word... The front of the train is talking!  
A self-driving golem?!  
I thought such tech was still theoretical!!! 

“That’s the Farm Kingdom’s astonishing engineering for you. As this is a test run, allow me to explain our capabilities.” 

…Oh, um, okay? 
A railroad car explaining its own function...? 

“I, Otherworld Railway Vehicle No. 2 Beta, am scheduled to transport you to Farm Station and San-Chome Station at a top speed of 300 km/h. Estimated travel time: approximately two hours to Farm Station, followed by another two hours to San-Chome Station.” 

I’m not really sure I get it, but… does that mean the world is about to get way smaller, moving at speeds that go beyond anything a regular citizen of the Demon Kingdom like me could ever imagine? 
Even just at this point, I’m already floored by the miracles Lord Saint is pulling off through this whole Farm Kingdom project… 
But the autonomous golem keeps talking, totally ignoring my sense of awe. 

“Attached behind me are ten freight cars in total. These will be loaded with supplies and transported to the Farm Kingdom. Each freight car is designed to carry the equivalent of five standard wagons’ worth of cargo.” 

Five wagons’ worth?! 
And there are ten of those?! 

Did I hear that right? Is something wrong with my ears? 

That’s just… a ridiculous amount of cargo being transported at the previously mentioned ridiculous speed. 
I can’t even begin to imagine how efficient this makes everything. 

If this railway becomes practical, what kind of cost-performance ripple is it going to send through the entire world?! 

“In addition, two passenger cars have been added to accommodate our VIP guests. Please rest assured, my pulling power is not at all affected by the addition of just two cars. I will deliver you all to your destination right on schedule.” 

Oh, so they’ve prepared special accommodations for us. 

“Of course, we would never be so rude as to carry honored guests in the freight compartments. The passenger cars are designed with the utmost luxury, crafted by the elves of the Farm. Featuring a top-grade chandelier by Poel and premium leather seats carefully tailored by Maelga. Please enjoy the view through our spotless, crystal-clear windows.” 

I-I see…! 
Just listening to that makes it sound absurdly luxurious… Isn’t that the kind of treatment normally reserved for, say, the Demon King? 

“Rest easy. This Otherworld Railway Vehicle No. 2 Beta guarantees zero discomfort for its passengers, even if we were to travel at the speed of light. The chandeliers won’t sway, and sudden starts and stops are not in my vocabulary! I promise you a smooth, comfortable journey!!!” 
“Hey, Jiro, it’s about time to depart!” 
“Please call me Beta!” 

Following the gentle prompt, I step into the passenger car… 
It really is luxurious. 
It’s way more extravagant than the office in my government building. 

The sheer boldness to just casually create something like this… 
That’s the power of Lord Saint of the Farm Kingdom, huh... 

“All systems are green. Preparations complete. Departure imminent. Doors are closing, please be careful.” 
“Daashieriesu!” 

…Who said that weird line at the end? 

==========

c1218 Saikyo reference: it's a name of a train line in japan connecting SAItama and toKYO (埼京), but it can also mean the strongest/invincible (最強)

nanbu is a railroad line in tokyo.

lastly, daashieriesu was allegedly said by a train announcer, like a slurred version of "doa wo shimarimasu," which translates to "doors closing." it has become a bit of an online meme within the jp community way back in early 2000s